I'm Myself When I'm With You
by Shadow Herald
Summary: Zeke was a loner who only wanted to be accepted by those he cared about. Naminé was a girl who lived in her own reality. When their worlds collided, some pieces of the puzzle they call life seemed to line up. (Disclaimer: Fluff ahead. Weird teen emotional stuff ahead.) NaminéxOC [OC credit: Arisa- Ladies Of Literature]


It was your typical day for Twilight Academy's "Number One Shipped Artsy Couple", or so the pair has been called. The pair would wake up, go to classes, more classes (including their focus), and then free time until lights out. Zeke Skellington and Naminé Tribal always spent their free time together, sketching whatever floated into their brains. The pair could usually be found sketching by the bridge located near the woods and the fountain on site. The two were just friends, however they both had a massive attraction to the each other. Sadly, neither of them could admit it.

There were days that lazy afternoons like that, spent with the love of your life are good on their own, and then there are days where your brain decides that good isn't good enough.

 _THIS IS A TIME FOR ACTION ZEKE, MY BOY._

 _Uh… Brain? Are you talking to me? Did you call me your boy... We're technically the same age._

 _ACTION._

 _Oh… Action… You don't mean like 'that' action, do you?_

 _PRECISELY._

"Well shoot, guess I have no choice then…" The pale and seemingly frail teen said with a cocked grin, shrugging his shoulders. He tried his hardest to boost his confidence.

"Did you say something, Zeke?" The quiet voice of Naminé's chimed next to the boy.

Every ounce of confidence drained from him when he looked at Naminé. It felt like every nerve in Zeke's body was firing off signals of "SAY NOTHING" to his brain. He attempted to casually adjust his blood red beanie before speaking, which had slid up his head farther than he liked. In the process though his thumb caught the skeleton stud in his right ear, causing pain to twinge through his body.

"Yowch! That's going tibia pain I'll remember..."

"Oh my gosh, Zeke, are you alright?" Naminé asked, setting her sketchbook on her right side before she checked to make sure Zeke's ear was okay. Zeke was left handed and Naminé was right handed, so to avoid bumping into each other Naminé always sat on Zeke's right side. "And did you just make a skeleton pun?" She asked with a smile.

Zeke tried to protest but having the girl who is always on your mind being that close to your face, smiling at your joke tends to shut down your system, Zeke's especially.

"Yup, j-just peachy, you know?" Zeke laughed nervously, cracking his neck after Naminé decided in her own mind that he was alright. "So, what'cha drawing?"

"O-oh, this?" Naminé held up her sketchbook to Zeke, revealing an islet with a strange curved tree, bearing a star-shaped fruit. "I dream about this place a lot. I really hope it's real and maybe one day I could visit it." She trailed off for a minute, and then seemed to collect her thoughts. "Do you think that's weird at all?"

The way she looked at Zeke could have floored an entire room. He would have fallen right into the water beneath them if it hadn't been for his iron will. Although, it was being tested to its limits. This girl was far too precious for this cold, cold world.

"N-no! Not at all! I dream about places all the time too that I wish I could visit. Like I dream about this amazingly wacky place called Halloweentown. The whole place eats, sleeps, and breathes Halloween! It's absolutely wonderful…" Zeke trailed off, tracing the stitch-like scars on his wrists.

A few minutes of silence fell between the two as they returned to their drawings. Zeke flipped to a different drawing he had already started on earlier while Naminé continued on her current piece. It was very common for them to do that when they couldn't find the words they'd want to say. When their pencil hit the paper, reality seemingly drifted away, and they were left to their own devices in their head. After a short while, Naminé spoke.

"I bet you'd love a place like that, Zeke. You know maybe one day we'll find these places we dream about so much and we can visit them…"

"Together?" The pair said at the same time. They both paused for a moment and then laughed a little.

"Jinx!" Zeke managed to fit in through his cackles of laughter. He always found himself laughing uncontrollably around Naminé. "Oh, that was great!"

After her giggling subsided, Naminé leaned her head over peer at Zeke's sketchbook. His sketchbook was normally filled with abstract gothic pieces, or other borderline menacing works. This time, however, he was sketching a girl in a dress, with her back turned. She was looking out into a body of water.

"What are you drawing, Zeke?"

Zeke brushed away some loose eraser shavings and held the sketchpad more in Naminé's direction. Almost afraid to make eye contact, he inspected the leftover graphite that stained his pale left hand.

"It's uh… you. In that, y'know, dream place of yours. Well actually it was originally just you standing there, but after what you just told me I figured I'd have you there."

Naminé smiled gently, touching the unmarked bottom right corner of the page. She pulled back slowly, making eye contact with Zeke for only a moment, before she looked away, blushing madly.

 _That's so sweet…_

"It's really beautiful, Zeke…" She whispered, almost to herself.

"Hmm, wuzzat?" Zeke asked with a very confused look on his face. "I mean I know it's not the best… but it's in its early stages!"

 _Lies, lies, lies. You know damn well you've already spent a few hours on it._

Naminé exhaled breathily and turned back towards Zeke, her cheeks flushed red.

"I-I said it's really beautiful. It's too beautiful, really. I'm not…" She trailed off.

Every nerve in Zeke's body, once again, rapidly fired signals to his brain. Although this time, it was a far different signal.

"Wha- who told you that?" Zeke said, continuing before he got an actual answer. "The way I see it you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. And that says a lot considering I've got 20/20 vision." Zeke looked down at the water, watching ripples float across the water. "But it's so much more than that, too. You're not just beautiful on the outside, Naminé… You're such a wonderful person. Most people…" Zeke stood up the second the tone of his voice changed, with Naminé staring at him, with tears starting to well up in her eyes.

She hadn't heard that kind of sadness in his voice. "Most people just write me off. As an outcast, a loser, whatever. And I've been physically attacked for it, too. Why do you think I have so many jokes and I laugh all the time? It's because it hurts. A lot. And it feels like that's the only way to feel better. You're one of the very, very few people who don't look at me for what I am, but who I am. I feel like I'm important when I'm around you. I'm me when I'm around you. I can't put it into words, I cannot describe how amazing a feeling that is. And so…" He trailed off again.

His words were getting caught up in his brain as it was working faster than his mouth. A smile crossed his lips cracked his neck once more.

"One moment, please!" Zeke said as he handed Naminé his beanie and wallet before he hopped off the bridge, diving into the water below.

"Wh- Zeke?!" Naminé cried out as the boy leapt into the water.

 _What is even going on? Was he just going to? No. Not possible._

Naminé's thought were in just as much of a mess as Zeke's, and her head was spinning from confusion. She wasn't sure what was going on. She just wanted to tell him how she felt. She was attracted to him the moment she met him. She could tell there was something every once in awhile behind those grins, she just couldn't say for sure what. She made a promise to herself that no matter what, she'd always be there for Zeke, because he was one of her very best friends, and he treated her the way she treated him. They were themselves around each other, and it was a freeing feeling.

A few more moments passed before Zeke reemerged from the surface of the water. His white blonde bangs were in his face a bit so he moved them out of the way before he spoke.

"Naminé Tribal, I have loved you from the moment I met you!" He yelled before looking flustered again. He once more dunked his head in the water. "I'm myself when I'm with you and I get it if you don't feel the same way, but I don't ever…" Another flash of doubt, another dunk in the water. "EVER want to hear you say you're not beautiful because I think every part of you is absolutely wonderful!" Zeke was panting now from excitement. No matter the answer she gave now, he had finally told her, after so long, how he felt.

 _There's no way he just said that._

Naminé was almost as red as Zeke's hoodie at this point, and started to stammer over her words. Suddenly she stopped as she say Zeke waving her down, pretending to scribble on his hand. He wanted her to draw it out. Zeke dragged his butt out of the water and shook off as much as he could while Naminé sketched, almost furiously, in Zeke's sketchbook. Zeke took a few deep breaths and made his way towards her on the bridge.

After a few moments Naminé's embarrassed face shot down as she held it out to Zeke. He took a look at the new drawing, seeing a black-clad, gangly kid wearing a beanie. It was unmistakable. That was Zeke, alright. The peculiar part about the piece was that She drew Zeke holding her hand.

Zeke let out a small laugh of disbelief, before leaping off of the bridge again.

"Yahoooooo!" He yelled, which ended abruptly as he landed a solid belly flop in the water.

Naminé was cover his face as she was laughing, almost redder than Zeke's beanie.

"You're gonna catch a cold Zeke!" She yelled to him.

"A cold?" Zeke yelled as he resurfaced. "Are you kiddin' me? I'm on top of the world I can't get a cold!" Suddenly he sneezed a few times violently. He stared into the distance with an annoyed look on his face, emphasizing the dark circles under his eyes.

"Oh no!" Naminé squeaked, as she shoved their things in her bag, and grabbed Zeke's bag as well before she headed towards the edge of the water. "Come on, Zeke, let's get you back to your room and warm you up you big dummy!"

Zeke hung his head in defeat as he sneezed again and began walking towards the dorms.

* * *

Upon arriving the first thing you'll notice inside Zeke Skellington's room that he shares with his roommate, Vanitas, is that there are Halloween decorations. Everywhere. This room was the epitome of spooky.

Naminé was staring at the door, blushing, while Zeke quickly changed into dry clothing.

"Alright. S'good." Zeke said, already having a stuffy nose. He rarely got sick, and it was never very pretty when he did. He was practically death's offspring anyways.

Naminé helped tuck Zeke into bed, sitting next to him while he was laying down. She stared at the boy with a smile as he tried to blow some hair out of his face. She slowly reached for his head and brushed it out of the way, causing his red cheeks to redden even worse. She hesitantly pulled back, looking down at the floor as she did.

"That was really reckless of you, Zeke. I didn't want you to get sick…"

"Heh, it was totally worth it… So Na-... so Na-..." Zeke sneezed violently again.

"Bless you… What did you want to say, Zeke?" Naminé asked, looking down at the floor again.

"Uhm… I know it's not exactly the most opportune time, but it'll have to be as good as any because, just like my sneezes, I can't hold this in any longer." Naminé looked over at Zeke who was looking her in the eyes, something he hardly did. "Would you… Naminé, would you do me the absolute honor of being my girlfriend?"

Naminé blushed and smiled. "Close your eyes, Zeke Skellington."

 _Don't think about it, don't think about it. Just do it, just do it, just do it. C'mon Naminé. You can do this._

Nervous and flustered, Zeke closed his eyes, revealing the entirety of his dark circles. Suddenly Naminé pushed Zeke's hair away and kissed his forehead. She then pressed her forehead to Zeke's.

"I'm myself when I'm with you too. I'm always so happy when we're together! I'd absolutely love to be your girlfriend, Zeke."

-x-


End file.
